Spring-forming machine



T. F. BUCKLEY.

SPRING FORMING MAGHHJE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30,1921.

'tnm Sept. 12, m2

WITNES$E&

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

SPRING' FORMING MACHINE.

.vAppli'eation filed al'ulyi 30, 19.21. Serial No: 488,545.

i To all wlz om itmag camera:

lieitknown that L THoMAs F.- BUG LEY, of Scranton, in the: county :of .Lackawannc and. State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spring-Forming vMaehi1'1es,-of which improvement thefollowing-is a specification.

My; .-piresent lnventlon relates to sprlng --form1ngcmach1nes ofethetggeneral class or type ofLthatsetJforth;in Letters Patent of the United fiStates .vNo. 1,275,377, .,granted and issuedito-myselfiand Samuel S. Riegel, sunderl date of August; 13, 19118, and; its :ob-

ject is to provide? an appliance of such type which 1 shall ibe cof simplified aconstruction and reduced-cost, and a which shall embody improved facilities. fortdesired ustment.

The improvement claimed-is hereinafter fully. set forth.

. In theaccompanying drawings :i Figure 1 is a-plan or top/view,-partly-in section, of a spring forming machine, illustrating an embodim"ent-of=.myinvention; 1 Fig. 2,: a side View, iii-elevation Fig. 3,. an end view, as seenIfrom theright, Eig apa-side view of.

the cross -head, illustrating a structural -modifi 'ca tionof the operating means Fig. 5,

an end-viewofthesame ;5 and, Fig. 6, a plan vview on areduced scale, ofthe table, showing \a disposition adapted for makingsprings ofspecial curvature.

Inthe practice of my invention, referring descriptively; to the specific" embodiment. thereof-which isiherein. exemplified, I proyide aflat 'tablefor plate, 1, oflstoutmetal, which is supported" on vertical standards,

cylinder, 2, 'is Jfixedv i horizontally on a bracket, 2*, which projects from the-front ofnthe table,- at the middle thereof,'=and is ted with. a, properly packed piston, 2, which is secured upon a.. piston rod, 2, projecting -ton, the admissiontand exhaust being. controlled by anylsuitableiknown valve mechanism, which: doeslnot, in and of itself, form part of my invention-land is1not,rtherefore, 7

.first described. Itwill be seen that by this herein illustrated.

A cross'head, 3, is-s'e'cu'red to the outer end of the piston rod, said cross headv beingf con pled, by a plurality of connections, to a curved templet or.formation.plate, 6. In the instance exemplified, a middle and two B this-means the curvature of the formation plate may be readily adjusted l as :de: sired.

A fixed 'flexible resistance lmember which is shown in the form of a flat link chain, 7, the depth of which: issubstantially' equal to the width of the widest springplates which areito be bent, is extended longitudinally on the table, 1. The resistance member is held in tension by two helical springs,

8, located belowzthe table, each of said springs being coiled/on a rod, 8 which is coupled to .a block, 7?, fitted. to slide in a guide slot, 1r in the table, and bolted to one end of the resistance member, 7. The

springs, 8, bear, at one end, on collars, 8 ,on

the rods, 8, and, at the other end, on abut ments, 8, fixed to the table and their tension'may be adjusted-as desired, by'nuts, 8

engaging screw threads on the rods, 8

The chain, 7, is maintained,at two points in its length, at its normal distance from the cross head, as determined by the tension to which it is subjected, by the springs, 8, and L the extent of its operative flexible lengthis limited by the blocks, 9, which are fitted, with the capacity of longitudinal movement, on the table, and'are secured adjustably thereto, by bolts, 9 and nuts, said bolts passing througl1:slots,-1, in the table, which ,are located at a right angle to the axial line of the piston rod, 2 The blocks,

9, are coupled, by bolts, 9?, to anvil blocks,

9, secured to the chain, 7. I a .The structural modlficatlon of the construction last above described, which is shown in Fig: 6, is designed for use in the manufacture of leaf springs of special curvature. The slots, l glin whichthe bolts connecting the blocks, 9, are adjustable, are, in this case, inclined, at equal angles, to the axial line of the piston, 2, instead of being at a right angle thereto, as in the instance disposition of the guide slots and anvil blocks, a double curvature may be imparted tothe'spring leaves, as-clear1 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate means for moving by links, 16, to lugs, 3, on the bottom of the cross head, 3. The length of traverse imparted to the cross head by vibration of the shaft, 13, may be varied, as desired, by adjustments of the bolts, 16, which connect the links, 16, to the crank discs, 15, in slots, 15, in said crank discs.

In the operation of the machine, the for mation plate, 6, having been bent to the curvature which it is desired to impart to the spring plate, said plate is heated to a proper temperature for bending, and is stood, on one of its sides, against the formation plate. Motive fluid is then admitted to the cylinder, 2, and the piston, 2, and connected cross head, 3, are thereby forced for-- wardly or towards the chain, 7, and the plate is pressed between the formation plate and the chain and bent to the desired curvature, with any initial set or extra draw that may be necessary in spring construction. The ends of the spring plate are held in proper position by the pressure of the anvil bloclic, 9, on the chain, and the yielding of the intermediate portion of the length of the chain is determined by the curvature of the formation plate. WVhen the plate has been bent, outwardly acting pressure is released from the piston, 2, and the piston and cross head are retracted to their original position. It will be seen that," by the lengthening or shortening of the working length of the chain, spring plates of any length within the I capacity of the machine, may bebent to a desired curvature.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a spring forming machine, the combination of'a supporting table, provided with guide slots; a flexible resistance member, extending longitudinally thereon; blocks, connected to the ends of said member and fitted to slide in said guide slots in the table;

means, located below the table and connected to said blocks, for imposing tension on the resistance member; a curved formation plate, which is movable towards and from the resistance member; and means for imparting movement to the formation plate.

2. In a springforming machine, the combinationof a supporting table,provided with guide slots; a flexible resistance member, extending longitudinally thereon; blocks, con nected to the ends of said member and fitted to slide in said guide slots in the table; rods, located below the table and coupled to said eas es blocks; abutments, fixed to the table; abutments, fixed on the rods; springs, bearing on said abutments; a curved formation plate, which is movable towards and from the resistance member and means for imparting movement to the formation plate.

3. In a spring forming machine, the combination of'a' supporting table, provided with guide slots; a flexible resistance member, extending longitudinally thereon; means for imparting tension to said resistance member; blocks, fitted to slide longitudinally on said table; adjusting bolts, connected to said blocks, and passing through said guide slots in the table; anvil blocks, connected to said first specified blocks and bearing on the resistance member; a curvedformation plate, which is movable towards and from the re sistance member; and means for imparting movement-to the formation plate.

4. In a spring forming machine, the combination of a supporting table; a flexible resistance member, extending longitudinally thereon; means for imparting tension to said resistance member; a cross head, fitted to traverse the table, towards and from the resistance member; a curved formation plate; a plurality of adjustable connections, coupling said formation plate to the cross head; and means for imparting movement to the cross head.

5. In a spring forming machine, the combination of a supporting table; a flexible rea curved formation screw threads, respectively, on their opposite ends, and a correspondingly threaded nut or turnbuckle, engaging'said screw threads and means for'imparting movement to the cross head.

6. In a spring forming machine, the combination of a supporting table a flexible resistance member, extending longitudinally thereon; means for imparting tension to said resistance member; a cross head, fitted to traverse the table, towards and from theresistance member; a curved formation plate, to which pressure is mparted by the cross head; a vibratable drlvmg shaft; a belt pulley thereon; and links, coupling the cross head to cranks on the driving shaft.

. THOMAS F. BUCKLEY.

WVitnesses: i I

JosnrIrGmnsnR, HARRY A HARPER. 

